Isaiah Hartenstein made a strong debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ja Morant had to leave the court early with an injury in his season debut.
NBA: Isaiah Hartenstein makes strong debut for OKC
After joining Oklahoma from the Knicks over the summer, the center made his first appearance in the win over the Spurs (112:107) and immediately had a great game. In 20 minutes, the German recorded 4 points, 8 rebounds (3 on the offensive board) and 7 assists with just two turnovers. In the end, he had the best plus-minus (shared with the second newcomer Alex Caruso) of all OKC players on the stat sheet (+20).
Caruso also played strongly, recording 5 assists and contributing a further 5 points. The Thunder’s two rookies Ajay Mitchell (19 points, 8/13 FG) and Dillon Jones (17 points, 8/11 FG) also stood out positively.
Unfortunately, there were no other big debuts that night: neither Klay Thompson (Dallas Mavericks), nor Paul George (Philadelphia 76ers) or Chris Paul (San Antonio Spurs) appeared in their new team’s jersey.
The night before, Daniel Theis already made an impression for his new team and rookie Tristan da Silva also saw his first minutes for the Magic.
NBA: Frightening moment for Ja Morant and Memphis Grizzlies
After a disappointing preseason, the Grizzlies are keen to make a real impact this year and cannot afford an injury to their superstar. Accordingly, the entire organization held its breath when the guard twisted his ankle in the win over the Mavs (116-112) after getting the ball thrown at his foot and subsequently had to leave the field.
Head Coach Taylor Jenkins spoke afterwards of a minor ankle injury, but Morant himself already gave the all-clear (“I’m fine, it’s just preseason”). However, the 25-year-old has struggled with ankle problems throughout his career and has missed many games over the years.
NBA: Andre Drummond with new skills
The Sixers’ blowout victory over the New Zealand Breakers (+55) was not a great effort, so there was enough time to take a close look at the new additions. There were already rumors during the training camp that Drummond wanted to develop into a willing shooter, and now he showed his new skills in practice for the first time. He took two shots from downtown against the New Zealanders and also drained a three from the corner – with not even that bad technique.
The second new big man, Guerschon Yabusele, also celebrated a successful Sixers debut. The Frenchman seems to have retained his form from the Olympics and remained without a miss (6/6) in his 15 points. He mainly played his minutes at the five, which means he could relieve Embiid in the course of the season.